% How-to-make-proper-lighting-charts.tex
% Hussein Esmail
% Created 2021 05 07
% Updated 2021 08 17
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\newcommand{\myAuthor}              {Hussein Esmail}
\newcommand{\mySubject}             {How I Made Proper Lighting Charts in 2018}
\newcommand{\myKeywords}            {Donald A. Wilson S.S, Lighting, Diagrams, Flashbang, Theatre, Guide}
\newcommand{\myCourseDateCreated}   {October 3, 2018}
\newcommand{\myTitle}               {How to Make Proper Lighting Charts}
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\begin{document} % Official beginning of the document. 
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\tableofcontents
\newpage

\section{Introduction}
This document explains how I make lighting charts at the time of this document
being written. Currently I type them in Microsoft Word. Later on this might
change, and when it does, I will put out another version of this document.

This document was made using \LaTeX{}, a typesetting format. All section titles in the Table of Contents can lead you to the actual section when double-clicked. You can read here \href{https://www.husseinesmail.xyz/articles/is-latex-better.html}{why I made this in \LaTeX{}}.

\section{Why is this important?}

You might be asking why this is important? During practices or dress
rehearsals, we make and modify our own lighting charts. This is not entirely
necessary, but it is easier to keep track of things if we write them down. This
is simply the format on how to do so. Don’t think that you must follow this if
another format works better for you. Just make sure that other people can also
understand it if they have to use your charts.

\section{Formatting}

\subsection{Lx}
Usually when people have a list of items, they are numbered in the order they
appear. Well theatre has something similar too. It is referred to as the ‘cue’
but written as ``Lx''. This means that whenever we write our lighting cues, they
must have the following at the beginning: \\ \textbf{Lx: 1}

\subsection{Cue}
This would only be completely accurate if this was the first cue in the
performance. At the moment, there is no indication when to change lights. Most
of the time, lights change between lines unless specified otherwise. We can add
our own indication between the lights when to change. It would be two lines
with a symbol in between, and you would change the lights when you reach the
symbol. This symbol shouldn’t be very complex, because you want to see the
lines beside it easily. Personally, when I make my lighting charts, I use
``$\rightarrow$''. This can be done in Microsoft Word by typing ``-'' twice,
then the ``>'' symbol. This line would look something like
this:
\\ \textbf{Lx: 1}
\\ \textbf{Cue: [line before cue] $\rightarrow$ [line after cue]}

\subsection{BASIC}
Now is where you would write what lights need to change. There are 2 ways of
approaching this: The first way is noting only the changes. This is beneficial
because only the important information is listed when going to the next cue, so
you are ready to perform the change. The bad part about this, is if someone
wants to go right to that cue, not all the lights on will be listed in that
cue. An example could be: if we have light 3 on for the first 5 cues, and at
cue 2 lights 4, 5, and 6 turn on, this is what cue 2 would look like: \\
\textbf{Lx: 1}
\\ \textbf{Cue: [line before cue] $\rightarrow$ [line after cue]}
\\ \textbf{BASIC: 4, 5, 6@100\%}

\subsection{Ways to write changes}
I know of two ways to write cues in lighting charts. The first is to only 
write what changes in each cue, and the other is to write all the lights that
are on in a given cue. There are pros and cons to both, and here's what they 
are.

\textbf{Only writing changes in each cue}: The benefit to this is that it's
faster to read during performances, but the downside is that ifthe director
wants to start at a certain scene, there may be lights that need to be turned
on that aren't listed in the current cue.

\textbf{Writing all instructions on all cues}: The benefit for this is that
it's easier to switch to specific scenes, but they are slower to read during
performances because there will also be cues that are already on.

This is the point where you would actually write down what to change. If there
are only changes with the LEDs, you don’t want to take the time to check if the
BASIC lights need any changing if there aren’t any. 9 times out of 10 there are
BASIC light changes, so it is easier to write if there are BASIC changes.

Note that if you are using specific light numbers, they only work if you are at
the same theatre.  A solution to this would be to write stage locations, but we
will go into that later on. If you are using submasters on the lighting board,
you can simply write \textbf{SUB 1}. If you are using multiple submasters at
the same time, it would look a little like this: \\ \textbf{BASIC: SUB1@100\%,
SUB2@50\%}

I recommend refraining from using multiple submasters during individual cues,
because that would defeat the use of them; which is to have all the lights you
need in one fader. The goal is to make it something like this: \\
\textbf{BASIC: SUB1@100\%}

\subsection{When there are no changes}

If there are no changes in something but you still need a new lighting cue, you
would write ``[NONE]" in the spaces where no change occurs. For the BASIC
lights, it would look something like this: \\ \textbf{BASIC: [NONE]}

\subsection{LEDs} I mentioned before that you don’t want to be checking if
there are LED changes when there are only BASIC changes. Well this is where the
chart tells you if there are LED changes. With setting LEDs, the positions are
too complex to change on the spot, so I advise that you always use Sequences
(the LED equivalent to Submasters). When making the Sequences, you want the
first one to be off (when the SHUTTER is CLOSED), and the same for the last
one. The reason is if you are turning on the LEDs for its first cue, then there
are changes right after, you don’t have to press the SHUTTER button then look
for the ``''>'' button to go to the next sequence. It is easier to store the
off cue into the Sequence. Writing the LEDs on the lighting charts is the
simplest of them all: \\ \textbf{LED: Next cue} or \textbf{LED: [NONE]}

If there is something that is constant the entire time, it is easier to just
state it at the top of the first page, or not put it at all if it never gets
turned on. The most common thing that would occur is ``LED: [NONE]''. This
doesn’t really need any instruction, so there would be no point of putting
this. If there is one LED throughout the entire performance, I recommend
putting it on all sections. If you don’t, you may have forgotten that there
needs to be LEDs and suddenly you see ``LED: $\ldots$'' on Lx 11 (random number
somewhere in the middle of a performance) and you start to panic. This way, you
only have to look at Lx 1 when setting up because it will tell you which things
you need.

\section{Stage Locations/Other Theatres}

If you are making lighting charts that you know will only be performed at your
own theatre, then this section isn’t as necessary. Some examples of this
scenario can be the school talent show, and the winter and spring showcases.

However, if there is even a possibility there will be performances at a
different theatre, I recommend that you write this section. This section is
used to make submasters at new theatres. I won’t go into why, but please, if
there is one thing you need to know out of this entire document, MAKE SURE YOU
WRITE DOWN STAGE LOCATIONS FOR LIGHTS FOR EACH CUE!

Since words like ``Downstage'' or ``Stage Right'' take up a lot of space, we
use abbreviated terms.

\begin{tabular}{r l} 
    Term & Name 
	\\ USR & Upstage Right 
	\\ USC & Upstage Centre
	\\ USL & Upstage Left 
	\\ SR & Stage Right 
	\\ CS & Centre Stage 
	\\ SL & Stage Left 
	\\ DSR & Downstage Right 
	\\ DSC & Downstage Centre 
	\\ DSL & Downstage Left 
	\\ AL & Apron Left 
	\\ AC & Apron Centre 
	\\ AR & Apron Right
\end{tabular}

An example of Stage Positions on the lighting charts would look something like
this: 
\\ \textbf{Lx: 2} 
\\ \textbf{Cue: ``I’m the line before the cue'' $\rightarrow$ 
``I’m the line after cue''} 
\\ \textbf{BASIC: 4, 5, 6@100\%} 
\\ \textbf{LED: [NONE]} 
\\ \textbf{STAGE: DSC@100\%}

If you do decide to add the Stage Positions, and some are empty, add some
indication that there should be a value there, because if it is blank, you may
think there aren’t any during that cue. Something like this would match the
format: \\ \textbf{STAGE: [UNKNOWN]}


\section{Example Lighting Chart}

Performance Name: Test Chart 
\\ Hussein Esmail 
\\ Date: October 4, 2018 
\\ 
\\ Lx: 1 
\\ Cue: [No line] $\rightarrow$ ``Welcome to Donald A. Wilson.'' 
\\ BASIC: 7-9@100\%, 18@75\% 
\\ LED: [NONE] 
\\ STAGE: AR@100\%, SR@75\% 
\\ 
\\ Lx: 2 
\\ Cue: [When the video starts] 
\\ BASIC: ALL OFF 
\\ LED: [NONE] 
\\ STAGE: ALL OFF 
\\ Notes: Put the screen down 
\\ 
\\ Lx: 3 
\\ Cue: [Video finishes] 
\\ BASIC: 7-9@100\%, 18@75\% 
\\ LED: Next Cue 
\\ STAGE: AR@100\%, SR@75\%

\end{document} % Official end of the document. 
